2018-05 May

Welcome new members. Chapter 5151 has been in Campbell for 20 years! We have been around for this long because we are all volunteers who help keep our chapter alive. I hope you will enjoy our meetings and make new friends.

Please help us in our continuing effort to keep our chapter going by volunteering on any of our committees that may interest you. Please call me anytime to talk about what is available. Or you can call any one of our Nominating Committee members. Our names and phone numbers are on the back of the Dispatch.

I interviewed my grandmother for part of a research paper I’m working on for my Psychology class. When I asked her to define success in her own words, she said: “Success is when you look back at your life and the memories make you smile.”

I asked my mentor – a very successful business man in his 70s what his top 3 tips are for success. He smiled and said:

It looks like we are under attack again – by Congress! This time it’s the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as Food Stamps. Whatever we call it, it is the difference between starvation and a full belly. Nothing is worse than deciding which bill to put off in order to eat, or worse, what foods to put back on the grocery shelf, in order to pay the bills! The upcoming Farm Bill needs to address the current economic reality of the American farmer and those who benefit from SNAP, as well as others who need this bill to help, rather than keep the status quo of 2014, when prices were higher and things were looking good for the farmers.

With the 2018 version of the farm bill having been voted out of committee for consideration by the full House, Catholic groups and other rural advocates are voicing their misgivings about many of its provisions.

Conservation programs that reward farmers and ranchers were zeroed out of the bill passed April 18 by the House Agriculture Committee. “Safety net” programs were boosted only marginally to aid farmers who have been getting dwindling prices for their crops and who could be the first victims of a trade war as tariffs are imposed on their produce.

Another part of the bill rewrites the eligibility requirements for SNAP, which could kick out 2 million Americans from the program, according to six Catholic leaders. “Eighty percent of the farm bill is around the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. It’s significant when we hear it’s going to include some dramatic cuts,” said James Ennis, executive director of Catholic Rural Life.

This is our time to shine! We need to write our members of Congress to keep SNAP off the chopping block! (Might want to let them know to make sure the farmers and ranchers get help, too!) Go to https://action.aarp.org and find the letter to send to your Congressman/woman regarding SNAP! Let them know how important it is to you!

On a lighter side, Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer is the latest senior Democrat to call for decriminalizing marijuana at the federal level. Schumer also said that he would support legalization in his home state of New York, in a well-timed interview with VICE News which aired Thursday night.

“My personal view is legalization is just fine,” Schumer said. “The best thing to do is let each state decide on its own. I’m doing it because I think it’s the right thing to do. I’ve seen too many people’s lives ruined by the criminalization,” Schumer said in the interview. “If we benefit, so be it. But that’s not my motivation.”

The concern about the Justice Department asserting its authority to enforce federal law regarding cannabis is particularly real in states like Colorado and California, which have a regulated state industry.

Colorado Republican Sen. Cory Gardner announced last week that he had reached an understanding with President Donald Trump that DOJ would not be getting in the way of the marijuana business in his home state, despite the withdrawal of guidance along those lines from then-Deputy Attorney General James M. Cole during the Obama administration.

Perhaps no federal official has been more skeptical of legalizing marijuana over the years than current Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Hmmmm, maybe we should get a free pass from President Trump as well……

I goofed last month on the program. But we really are having Debra this month!

Does the thought of moving cause your head to spin? You’re not alone. No matter what your circumstances, moving ranks high on the list of life’s most stressful events. Whether you just need to declutter to live more comfortably in your home, or a move is in your future, we’ll put this daunting task into perspective. This lively panel discussion will include:

• Key planning considerations for seniors and their families.

• How to decide what belongings and paperwork to keep.

• It’s not your Momma’s senior community.

• What resources are available to help.

Brought to you by the Platinum Senior Network, this panel includes experts in Move Management & Estate Sales, Professional Organizing, and Senior Housing Referrals. The panel will be moderated by Debra Schwartz, Founder of Platinum Senior Network and a Seniors Real Estate specialist.

Debra’s real estate career spans 3 decades. Inspired by events in her own family, Debra has become an advocate and resource for her own parents (Norm and Shelly Schwartz) and in helping seniors and their families with their real estate related needs in Santa Clara County.

Chapter meetings are held on the 3rd Tuesday of each month at: Campbell Community Center, 1 W. Campbell Avenue, Room Q80, in Campbell (corner of Winchester Blvd. and Campbell Avenue) except January. Social time begins at 9:30 am. The meeting is called to order at 10:00 am.

Leave clean clothing, bedding and nonperishable food for Sacred Heart on the bench outside. Please do not bring garage-sale-type items for Sacred Heart. Please bring books to share. Place these items on the first table: donations for the troops, new and used greeting cards in the box; your volunteer hours in purple envelope.

Are you interested in earning up to $200 while serving the community and seeing democracy in action? The Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters Office needs 5,000 to 6,000 Election Officers to work polling locations for the June 5, 2018 Election. Bilingual positions are available in up to 19 different languages. (See list below.) If interested, apply online at: https://www.sccgov.org/sites/rov/volunteer/ pages/officer.aspx.

In addition to Election Day workers, the Registrar’s office is hiring full-time temporary positions for its Early Vote Centers that open 10 days before the election. These officers will receive three weeks of training to operate the seven full-service facilities around the county.

Previous clerical experience is required for Early Vote Center workers. Anyone can be an election officer as long as they are a U.S. citizen and registered voter, a legal permanent resident 18 or older, or high school student at least 16 years old. Election officers will receive a stipend of up to $200 for their services, including a bonus for being bilingual. Training is provided and classes will begin soon.

Early Vote Center applicants have additional vetting as potential County employees and are especially encouraged to apply immediately. For more information about election officers or Early Voting Center positions, contact the Registrar of Voters’ Office at 1-408-299-POLL (7655). Online sign-up for election officers is available under the “Volunteer” tab at www.sccvote.org. Bilingual individuals are needed who speak Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese (Cantonese, Mandarin, Taiwanese), Tagalog, Korean, Russian, Farsi, Punjabi, Japanese, Hindi, Telugu, Portuguese, Khmer, Syriac, Tamil, Gujarati and Nepali.

Did you know that May is the last month of the year where each day is longer than the one before? May is also Older Americans’ Month. Every May, the Administration on Aging, part of the Administration for Community Living, leads our nation’s observance of Older Americans’ Month. The 2018 theme, Engage at Every Age, emphasizes that you are never too old (or young) to take part in activities that can enrich your physical, mental, and emotional well-being. It also celebrates the many ways in which older adults make a difference in our communities. Participating in activities that promote mental and physical wellness, offering your wisdom and experience to the next generation, seeking the mentorship of someone with more life experience than you—those are just a few examples of what being engaged can mean. No matter where you are in your life, there is no better time than now to start. We hope you will join in and Engage at Every Age!

Use the materials, activities, and resources on this site to promote and celebrate #OAM18! Go to oam.acl.gov.

As you know, our chapter was one of the sponsors of the local candidates’ forum at St. Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Church; AARP members who participated: Kathy Mattingly (organizer and mistress of ceremonies), myself (moderator), Barbara Robinson and Margaret Schieck (AARP table reps). Two other members volunteered but got sick and couldn’t attend.